2009

Since I will be studying abroad for the 2009 year I thought I would just document everything in a blog for everyone to read and keep in touch since I won't be able to tell everyone everything all the time because that's a lot of repeated stories. Anyway, so this Spring Semester I am in Washington, D.C for Lutheran College Washington Semester. I live in a little neighborhood next to D.C in Virginia called Rosslyn. The metro is five minutes away and it's really cute. We live in "Penthouses" on the Sky Terrace. I have a huge balcony that is the size of a dance floor where you could fit like 150 people. I have a nice view of Rosslyn, and a little bit of DC. Anyways, I go to internship four days a week in DC. I work at the American Legislative Exchange Council as the Membership intern, I also play an active part in one of their task forces, the Public Safety and Elections task force (formally the Criminal Justice and Homeland Security Task force). I have my own office, phone with voicemail (which I need to record), email address (ask for it), business cards, and they pay for my transportation and lunch, which helps a lot. Anyway little about where I work.

It's called ALEC, and it's a non profit, non partisan, legislative group. So basically there are two sectors public and private, the public sector are all the state legislators, they pay like 50 bucks a year to be a member and collaborate with other state legislators on model legislation test it within in ALEC to see if it passes and then they continue to take it on to their state legislature. The private sector are other companies that want to be able to talk to their state legislators about laws that affect them and also other fortune 500 companies, non profits, and foundations. They pay a donation to become a part of the organization anywhere from 7k-50k. So for example, Ebay is a member because there has been talk of the internet being taxed, and they want to talk to legislators about how it affects their business and tell them to think about it blah blah etc.

Anyway I work with the membership department so people that want to join and what not and I also do research and write articles on the main issues for the Public Safety and Elections task force for the year of 2009. It's cool.

So far DC has been interesting I havent really done much because of the inauguration craziness, but I will definitely be there for the inauguration. I got my tickets and I will have to wake up at the crack down to get there and stuff. Anyway that's all for now. I'll keep everyone updated.

Love,
A-Ram

P.S - I miss you CLU! Also Molly, Megan, Lizzy, Kate, Katie Colorado, The Bode, Meghan, etc.
(and Emily of course, who is on the ship!)

If you want to mail me stuff my address is:

1111 Arlington Blvd
Apt. #1010
Arlington, VA 22209